About The Next Level
We are a local business networking group.
This Showcase BNI Chapter is focused on helping its’ members to grow their businesses.
Why choose The Next Level:
Chris Pennock: Partner, Calendar Robinson Insurance and Founding Member of The Next Level BNI Chapter
As the only remaining founding member of The Next Level BNI Chapter, Chris Pennock shares his thoughts on the variety of reasons why one should consider The Next Level when deciding which BNI chapter to join.
Here are the reasons that come to mind:
- Culture: We’ve developed a culture of compassionate, commitment to each other that, I believe is the reason that we have stayed the size and the consistency that we have over the past uh, seven years.
- Consistency: is that we’ve maintained over fifty members for seven, plus, years. There hasn’t been the irratic rise and fall, that you see in many chapters. The Next Level has consistently maintained fifty or more members for over 7 years. Chapter size is very important as it has been documented that the chapter size has a significant impact on the number of closed business dollars. After eighteen years of existence, The Next Level’s vision and culture has also remained consistent.
- Steady growth: We’ve also maintained a level of over 4 million in referral business, each year for the last 7 years and some years we’ve done as much as 5.5 million. So in terms of being able to sustain and help people grow their business and sustain their business, we have clearly been consistent.
What is our secret? We believe it is the innovative environment we’ve created where we encourage our newer members to be a part of the leadership team and to bring their fresh ideas into the chapter. We believe that this brings energy and enthusiasm on a consistent basis.
I see many chapters, who keep the same leadership team members that for five and up years. Those chapters tend to get stale. The Next Level never get stale. The new members bring in new energy and the new energy creates excitement and the excitement creates referrals. It’s pretty simple.
~Chris Pennock
Debbie Hegardt, Realtor for Terra Firma Global Partners
The Next Level is a well-rounded, dynamic group of the very best business professionals whose true mission is to grow their business while growing the businesses of their fellow members. We accomplish this by selling through our very large chapter. This referral process happens very naturally once we’ve established trust and a relationship with the other members.
The Next Level operates under the Giver Gain philosophy. The more I give the more I will receive. We do this easily because the energy in our chapter is electric and contagious. Being a part of a chapter that uses the tools of an effective and efficient meeting, socials provided by BNI and our chapter, the desire to do the 1 2 1’s and brush up on our networking skills by eliciting and learning from the podcast and seasoned members. Our chapter strives to be the elite (or premier) BNI chapter in the north bay and proves that by the closed business we have shared with one another.
Next level is not successful just because of our large chapter size but it is the driven professional, the support, and the authentic desire to grow everyone’s businesses!
Testimonials From Our Members:
My sales are up 20% since joining in May (less than a year).
BNI has been very beneficial to my business over the years, but most recently, and most powerfully, the Next Level chapter has been a source of incredible collaboration within my sphere of complimentary professions. They way we are all working together is like nothing I have ever seen, and my business has really progressed in ways that continue to delight and surprise me.
I’ve been in the chapter for nearly 15 years and can trace 75% of my company’s revenue during that time to BNI referrals.
I’ve been a member with BNI for over seven years and along with capturing a significant percentage of my overall business through my relationships with the businesses and professionals in our chapter, my membership has also afforded my company real VISIBILITY, CREDIBILITY, and PROFITABILITY with companies both in and outside of BNI!!!
The power group that I participate in is a dynamic group of professionals that compliment what I do so we can be exceptional referral partners. Bni brings leading edge professionals together so that we can share our wants with each other helping our businesses grow.
I have been a member of BNI for over 14 years and referrals from BNI generate over $150,000 in revenue for my business every year.
19 years ago I was, dragged in to start a BNI Chapter, by my biggest client. My closed business has averaged over $1,000,000 per year for well over 7 years and has been 20% of my total since my 3rd year. Hence the reason I’m still here. Period.